A company dispatcher expresses concern over captain's decision to depart st maarten (tncm) with a lo...

Attributes
ACN	543071
Time
Date	200203
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tncm.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel
ASRS Report	543071
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	other other
Factors
Maintenance	performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance Company
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

A captain called dispatch to advise his crew oxygen bottle was below 416 psi. Also he had found the normal/emergency oxygen switch in the emergency position. The aircraft was in st maarteen for a scheduled flight to ZZZ. Connected captain/dispatch and maintenance together on phone patch to discuss our options. Maintenance advised they had no crew oxygen bottles in st maarteen but had 2 in san juan and 1 in st thomas. Flight was already fueled to over 30000 pounds and st thomas was out of the question. San juan was an option and the captain said 'let's do it, we will stay at 10000 ft all the way to san juan.' maintenance technician foreman agreed and said he would advise air carrier X maintenance to have bottle ready to replace used bottle. Feeling there was intentional problem, dispatch agreed reworked for plan (showed diversion to san juan and senj) filed flight. This was done as opposed to canceling 142 passenger going to ZZZ.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A COMPANY DISPATCHER EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER CAPT'S DECISION TO DEPART ST MAARTEN (TNCM) WITH A LOW CREW OXYGEN BOTTLE.

Narrative: A CAPT CALLED DISPATCH TO ADVISE HIS CREW OXYGEN BOTTLE WAS BELOW 416 PSI. ALSO HE HAD FOUND THE NORMAL/EMER OXYGEN SWITCH IN THE EMER POS. THE ACFT WAS IN ST MAARTEEN FOR A SCHEDULED FLT TO ZZZ. CONNECTED CAPT/DISPATCH AND MAINT TOGETHER ON PHONE PATCH TO DISCUSS OUR OPTIONS. MAINT ADVISED THEY HAD NO CREW OXYGEN BOTTLES IN ST MAARTEEN BUT HAD 2 IN SAN JUAN AND 1 IN ST THOMAS. FLT WAS ALREADY FUELED TO OVER 30000 LBS AND ST THOMAS WAS OUT OF THE QUESTION. SAN JUAN WAS AN OPTION AND THE CAPT SAID 'LET'S DO IT, WE WILL STAY AT 10000 FT ALL THE WAY TO SAN JUAN.' MAINT TECHNICIAN FOREMAN AGREED AND SAID HE WOULD ADVISE ACR X MAINT TO HAVE BOTTLE READY TO REPLACE USED BOTTLE. FEELING THERE WAS INTENTIONAL PROB, DISPATCH AGREED REWORKED FOR PLAN (SHOWED DIVERSION TO SAN JUAN AND SENJ) FILED FLT. THIS WAS DONE AS OPPOSED TO CANCELING 142 PAX GOING TO ZZZ.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

A company dispatcher expresses concern over captain's decision to depart st maarten (tncm) with a low crew oxygen bottle.